During the 1990s, restaurants and markets
in the U.S. began to sell toothfish under the name "Chilean
sea bass." Within a few years, toothfish became a popular
restaurant dish. The growth in popularity led to increased fishing
effort, both legally and illegally.

"The exploitation rate of this resource
is alarming and unsustainable. The scale of illegal, unregulated
and unreported fishing for toothfish is a very serious conservation
and management concern," said Penny Dalton, director of
NOAA Fisheries. "Tracking and monitoring this import product
will discourage unlawful harvest and give U.S. consumers confidence
that the seafood they eat is legally and sustainably caught."

A number of conservation and management
measures addressing illegal and unregulated fishing on toothfish
have been adopted by the CCAMLR over the last three years. These
measures have included flag state licensing of fishing vessels,
annual catch quotas, vessel monitoring systems, and identification
of fishing gear. However, despite increased inspections and sanctions
in recent years, total toothfish landings have been estimated
at up to twice the level of the amount of catch allowed in CCAMLR
regulated fisheries.

At the November 1999 CCAMLR meeting, the
commission adopted a Catch
Documentation Scheme for toothfish. The CDS is a trade tracking
and monitoring measure requiring that all landings, transhipment,
and importation of toothfish into CCAMLR member countries be
accompanied by a catch tracking document. The purpose of the
catch documentation scheme is to monitor international trade,
identify the origins of imports, and to determine if imports
were caught consistent with CCAMLR conservation measures.

"Today's final rule fulfills the United
States' obligation as a CCAMLR member to conserve Antarctic and
Patagonian toothfish," Dalton added.

The rule implements a CCAMLR requirement
that requires all parties receiving, importing, or exporting
toothfish to submit a catch document to NOAA Fisheries for all
toothfish. The catch document specifies a range of information
relating to the volume and location of catch and the name and
flag state of the vessel. Dealer permits are also required for
the import and export of toothfish whether harvested within or
outside CCAMLR waters. A permit to tranship toothfish, wherever
harvested, is required as well. Each CCAMLR member shall ensure
that its customs authorities or other appropriate officials request
and examine the import documentation of each shipment of toothfish
to verify that it includes the CCAMLR catch document that accounts
for all of the toothfish contained in the shipment.

CCAMLR came into force in 1982, as part
of the Antarctic Treaty System. The aim of the convention is
to conserve marine life in the Southern ocean. This does not
exclude harvesting as long as such harvesting is carried out
in a sustainable manner. The Southern ocean surrounds the continent
of Antarctica. The Antarctic Convergence, which is formed where
the cold Antarctic waters meet the warmer waters to the north,
outlines the Southern ocean and acts as an effective biological
barrier, making it a substantially closed ecosystem. Each member
of CCAMLR is involved in fishing or research in the Southern
ocean, or both, and through the commission, these operations
are coordinated and regulated to fulfil members' obligations
under the convention.

NOAA Fisheries is an agency of the Commerce
Department's National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration. The agency is dedicated to
protecting and to preserving the nation's ocean wildlife through
scientific research, fisheries management, habitat conservation
and enforcement.